Senior meal program continues

VALLEY — Former Valley City Councilman Ray Edwards has some good news to report about the senior meals program provided by the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS). Edwards, who is the long time ADSS board chairman, said he has been in communication with ADSS Commissioner Jean Brown and has been assured that this valuable nutrition program will continue indefinitely.

There was much concern about the program after senior centers were closed all across the state. Many Alabama seniors get their daily lunches at these centers.

“What we did is we started delivering most of the meals through our homebound program,” Edwards said. “The seniors who formerly participated in the congregate programs like the ones we have at senior centers in Lanett and Valley have their choice of having the meal delivered to their home or picking it up each day outside the center, where it can be given to them without them having to get out of their car.”

At the present time, the City of Valley is delivering approximately 145 meals every Monday through Friday. Lanett is delivering approximately 80 meals.

“I am happy to report that many seniors are continuing to receive hot meals either through curbside or home delivery,” Brown wrote to Edwards, “and there does not appear to be any issue with receiving a sufficient number of shelf stable meals to weather this crisis.”

Brown credited state leaders on having served Alabama in an exemplary manner through these difficult times.

“I want to thank Gov. Ivey for her untiring leadership during these unprecedented times,” she wrote.

“I also want to thank Dr. Scott Harris, an infectious disease expert, for his leadership with the Alabama Department of Public Health. I know they have both spent countless hours doing everything they can to protect Alabamians.”